Capturing Those Errant Thoughts

I don't suppose I'm the only one to have experienced this, but apart from one other person to whom I spoke recently, no-one else I have ever known in the last 30 years seems to have known what I was talking about.

Is it common for people who know the Lord to keep their own thoughts ... I mean their everyday, mundane, humdrum, even apparently harmless thoughts to themselves?

I wasn't always aware that I was doing this, until the Lord showed me that I wasn't sharing everything that I was, with Him.  I kept much of my thought processes, silly speculations and day dreaming to myself, unconsciously. I would go for long stretches of the day without taking my thoughts to Him. In between whiles I would talk to Him, praise Him, tell Him I loved Him and so on, but I honestly didn't bring the rubbish to Him. I think I was ashamed of much of it, or stupidly didn't think He'd be interested.

Anyway, He showed me this, reminding me gently that He loves me so much that He wants to be involved in EVERY part of my day, and since then I have been practising taking everything to Him. I have noticed that when I tell Him about areas in which I'm tempted, (for example, snacking too much in the afternoon) and talk to Him about how I'm feeling, praise Him for the feelings, and that He is stronger than those feelings, taking the thoughts consciously to Him instead of trying to ignore them and push them away, the desire I have for things which are damaging or unhelpful, just disappears. It's amazing.
How foolish I have been not to practise this all the time! I had times when I would do it, but I got distracted and then forgot. It has to become a continual habit, though. The enemy knows very well that if only he can get my mind off the Lord, he can quickly divert my attention to ANYTHING else. This ANYTHING else could be bad things, good things, interesting things, but as long as the ANYTHING else takes the first place of Jesus, then he has won.

'Hebrew 4 Christians' again:

Brother Lawrence said, “If I were a preacher, I should preach nothing else but the practice of the presence of God. There is not in the world a way of life more sweet, more delightful than continual converse with God.” Indeed, do not most of our problems come from just this – losing sight of reality, failing to open our hearts to God’s Presence? Yeshua said, “Live in me, and I will live in you” (John 15:3). We must make a sacred resolution to abide in reality, to stay united with Him. As David said: shiviti (שִׁוִּיתִי) - "I have set the LORD always before me - because He is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken" (Psalm 16:8). But how did David "set the LORD" before Him if He did not choose to open the eyes of faith to behold God's hidden Glory?

And it's so true. In this continual bringing myself before the Throne, being in His presence, taking every thought captive to His obedience in me in this way, I gradually overcome those areas which have been up until now still in bondage to giants.